MEET OUR BOARD

---

Linda was born and raised in McGillivray Township as the eldest of 9 children and attended NMDHS in Parkhill. She has been blessed with two sons, their spouses and 5 grandchildren. She resides on a farm outside of Dashwood with her life partner Bob Hoffman. Linda's career spanned 38 years with BMO, Commercial Banking, both locally and in London. While in Fernie B.C. for 3 months in 2014, she started following a painting show
on PBS and decided to try painting with acrylics. Following a road trip to Calgary for supplies, painting became a creative outlet for her in addition to crafting and gardening. She is honoured to have been asked to sit on the Board of the new South Huron Arts Centre. 

Janice is a retired elementary teacher born and raised in Windsor who taught a wide variety of subjects and grades over the course of her career, including instrumental and vocal music and visual arts. Upon retirement, she and her husband Petar moved to Port Franks, making their cottage a permanent residence. Janice is inspired and grateful for the artistic community in this area and the time she has to create art in several mediums, take and teach classes, and connect with so many artists both professional and emergent. Her current passion is the art of writing Ukrainian eggs using both the wax resist dye method and etching. 

Barb is a lifelong resident of South Huron, raised on a mixed farm on Morrison Line. She made the move to Exeter when she married her late husband, Brian, and together they raised four terrific ladies. Barb is a supporter of the Arts as art always needs patrons to enjoy, admire and praise their art, play or novel.

Barb spends her leisure time gardening, reading, attending plays with family and friends. She spends a lot of time with her grandchildren playing games, crafting, and exploring nature.

Barb is amazed by the talent, creativity, passion, and dedication artists have and hopes to foster her love and appreciation of art in her family and community. Artistic talent is essential and everywhere and needs a place to call home and SHAC in South Huron is that space and place.

Stephen T. Holmes is an award-winning actor and comedian born and raised in Exeter. From a young age he has always had a passion for arts and creativity. He graduated from Fanshawe College's Theatre Arts program in 2012 and has been acting in plays and short films in the surrounding area ever since. He has won Best Actor at the First Take Film Festival in 2014, 2016, and most recently in 2022. In 2017 he co-founded the comedy duo The S&M Experience with his friend and comedy partner Matthew Miner. The pair release new sketch comedy videos every month on their YouTube channel and have had their work featured in comedy festivals across North America and have been featured on Funny Or Die.

Deb has been passionate about the arts, since playing the donkey in the Christmas play in Grade 1. She studied ballet, tap and jazz from the time she was 4, earning the Gold Medal in Ballet from the University of Western Ontario when she was 18, and performing with a professional jazz dance company for three years while attending University. Deb performed in plays throughout high school and university and now enjoys directing and choreographing the annual South Huron Community Theatre shows. Deb was an elementary and secondary school teacher, secondary school Principal, founding administrator of Virtual High School (Ontario), National Learning Consultant for Pearson Education, and Director of Curriculum for TVO, among other roles. She is currently a doctoral student and works part-time for Queen's and Athabasca Universities. Deb enjoys chairing the Board for SHAC, teaching classes at the Art Centre and  her weekly playdates with her beautiful grandboys.

 Helen lives in Huron Park with her husband, Ken and son, Zachary. She has recently retired after working 51 years as an accounting technician in both private industry and public practice.

Helen volunteers with the Huron Fidget Makers making fidget aprons for individuals with Alzheimers and dementia. She also volunteers with the South Huron Arts Centre Elementary school program. She is inspired by the creativity of the young students in the clay building classes.

She enjoys taking classes through the South Huron Arts Centre to learn new crafts. As a result she has taken up stained glass as a new hobby.

 Daniel is an Engineer by trade but in his free time is eager to share his passion for the arts. Throughout university he led and performed in a variety of a cappella groups at UW and McMaster, and competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), various Gilbert and Sullivan and other music theater productions and the University Chamber Choirs. He continues to perform chamber music with the Juno-nominated Da Capo Chamber Choir in Kitchener-Waterloo. He strongly supports local and grassroots arts initiatives for live music, community theatre and believes in creating opportunities where artists can be compensated for their work and talents. In addition to the SHAC Board, Daniel sits on the executive for the Cultural Collective of South Huron. 

 Art has been an important part of Ruth Anne's life for as long as she can remember. Art makes her happy so she feels very lucky to have had a career making art and sharing the excitement of creativity with people of all ages for many years in both this community and for 32 years in the Thames Valley District School Board-where the art departments at Wheable S.S., Banting S.S., and Montcalm S.S. were Ruth Anne’s second homes. As a lifelong resident of South Huron, she has found it so rewarding to work with countless area volunteers on successful community projects such as Empty Bowls, Empty Spoons, The Great Poppy Installation in Goderich and the Bright and Beautiful event in support of Jessica’s House. There is great joy in helping people discover and use their own creativity and at the same time support important local causes. As an original member of ArtAroundTown for about 12 years, Ruth Anne has helped to promote the arts in South Huron and to participate in arranging many classes in a wide variety of the visual arts for all ages. Her personal artwork focuses on clay and glass. Ruth Anne is thrilled to be a part of the team initiating this new Art Centre which will be such an asset to our community. 

Angie lives in Crediton with her husband Collin, where they raised their 3 children. She enjoys spending time with her two sons, her daughter and their partners. Angie recently retired after 31 years in Human Resources managing employee pension plans at TD Bank in London and Toronto. She loves being creative, whether it’s cooking a special meal for her family and friends, various crafts, or more recently trying her hand at painting with acrylics. She enjoys creating abstract art using a variety of techniques, as well as painting landscapes. Angie hopes both her creativity and finance background will add value to the South Huron Arts Centre and is excited to sit on the Board.